Florence Ballard | The Supremes Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Florence Ballard (born Florence Glenda Ballard on June 30, 1943 in Detroit, Michigan) was one of the founding members of the Supremes. As a member of the group, she sang on sixteen top-40 singles (including ten number-one hit songs). In 1967, she was removed from the Supremes lineup and pursued a solo career which was unsuccessful. For five years, Florence struggled with alcoholism, depression & poverty. She attempted to make a comeback, but she sadly died of cardiac arrest in February of 1976 when she was only 32 years old. Florence's death was considered by one critic as "one of rock's greatest tragedies." Contents Edit Early photo of Florence Florence was born in Detroit, Michigan to Lurlee (née Wilson) and Jessie Ballard. She is of African-American, Native American & European-American descent. She was the eighth of thirteen children in her family. Florence was described as smart, low-key and tomboyish.

As a child, she earned two nicknames as a child: "Flo" and "Blondie" (due to her mixed-raced heritage & her light auburn hair). Lurlee was from Rosetta, Missisippi & Jessie was from Bessemer, Albama. Jessie was born under the name "Jesse Lambert." After Jessie's grandmother was shot & killed, he was adopted by another family named the Ballards & Jessie changed his surname to "Ballard." Jessie left his adoptive parents when he was 13 years old and engaged in an affair with Lurlee (who was only 14 years old at the time). In 1926, the Ballards moved to Detroit where Jessie soon worked at General Motors. Jessie was also an amateur musician & helped instigate Florence's interest in singing, teaching her various songs while accompanying her on the guitar. Due to financial struggles, Florence & her family moved frequently to different neighborhoods in Detroit. By the time Florence was 15 years old, she & her family settled at Detroit's Brewster-Douglass housing projects. The following year, her father passed away from cancer. She attended Northeastern High School and was coached vocally by Abraham Silver.

While in Northeastern, Florence met a girl from a different school named Mary Wilson as the two sang on the same talent show. Shortly after, they became friends. In 1959, she was spotted on her porch by a local talent scout named Milton Jenkins, then manager of the vocal group the Primes as he sought to find female vocalists to fill spots for a sister group of the Primes. Impressed by her vocals, Milton asked Florence if she knew any more singers. Ballard soon asked Mary to join the group who enlisted another neighbor Diane Ross . Betty Mcglown completed the original lineup and Milton named them the Primettes. After performing in sock hops and jubilees for much of a year, the group auditioned for Motown Records founder Berry Gordy after Motown staffer Richard Morris introduced the group to him. Berry advised the then-underage vocal group to graduate from high school before auditioning again Shortly afterwards, Florence was raped at knife point by local high school basketball player Reggie Harding after leaving a sock hop at Detroit's Graystone Ballroom where she had attended with her brother, but they were separated accidentally. The rape occurred at an empty parking lot off of Woodward Avenue.

Florence responded by secluding herself in her house, refusing to come outside, which worried her group-mates. Weeks later, she eventually told Mary and Diana about what happened. Even though Diana & Mary were sympathetic to what had happened to Florence, they were confused as she was considered to be strong-willed and unflappable. The rape was never mentioned again. Prior to the rape, Florence had been described by Mary and an early boyfriend named Jesse Greer as being a "generally happy if somewhat mischievous and sassy teenager." Mary believes that the rape incident heavily contributed to the more self-destructive aspects of Florence's adult personality such as her cynicism, pessimism and fear or mistrust of others. The Supremes (1959-1967) Edit An early promotional photo of Florence with The Supremes Florence eventually returned to her career and the Primettes signed their first deal with local label Lupine Records, releasing one record called "Tears of Sorrow" which was backed up by a song called "Pretty Baby." Neither of the songs made the charts. Despite the assumption that Florence was the group's original lead vocalist, Diana and Mary sung lead on the respective songs.

Following this, Betty McGlown was replaced by Barbara Martin . The group persisted on getting signed to Motown by sitting on the steps of Motown's Hitsville USA building and flirting with Motown's male artists & staffers. When a staff producer would come outside looking for people to provide background vocals or handclaps, the group would often participate. Florence eventually dropped out of high school even though the other girls graduated. Eventually, Berry Gordy allowed the girls to record songs with the label. In August of 1960, the group recorded a ballad called " After All " (which included all four members singing a lead part). During that same year, the group recorded the songs " You Can Depend On Me ," I Want A Guy " and " Buttered Popcorn " (which featured Florence in her first song as the lead vocalist). During this period, they provided background vocals for established Motown acts such as Marvin Gaye, Marv Johnson and Mary Wells. In January of 1961, Gordy relented and allowed the group to be signed under the condition they change their name. Berry and staffer Janie Bradford wrote a list of names for the girls on a list.

Jamie presented the list to Florence who picked the name "Supremes." Bradford presented the list to Ballard. Florence eventually picked the name "Supremes." Even though the other members felt that they would be mistaken for a male vocal group, the name stuck and Berry signed them to the label on January 15, 1961. Then, Motown Records issued "I Want A Guy" and "Buttered Popcorn." Even though neither of the singles charted, they were regional successes in Detroit. By the spring of 1962, Barbara left the group to get married and the rest of the group continued on as a trio. During that same year, Ballard briefly left the group to perform with girl group The Marvelettes, replacing Wanda Young (who was on maternity leave at the time). In May of 1962, Florence returned to the Supremes and in June, they had their first charted single with " Your Heart Belongs To Me " (which was recorded before Barbara left the group). Between 1961 and 1963, eight of the Supremes' singles failed to chart successfully.

Though there had been no designated lead vocalist in the Supremes, Berry Gordy felt Diana Ross' pop-oriented vocals would bring the group success. After the success of the single " When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes ," Diana was made the group's official lead singer from then on. In 1964, the Supremes scored their first number-one single, "Where Did Our Love Go" and eventually scored a total of three number-one singles in 1964 alone including "Baby Love" and "Come See About Me." By then, the group's live performances were given polish by Maurice King and Cholly Atkins. During live performances, the group incorporated standards. Florence was given a lead vocal on the song, "People" (which became her trademark lead onstage for a number of years). Due to her onstage candor (which included telling jokes), she became popular with audiences & most of the jokes were in response to Diana Ross' comments. Florence sung lead sporadically on several of the Supremes albums (including a cover of Sam Cooke's song "(Ain't That) Good News" on the Supremes' tribute album " We Remember Sam Cooke ").

According to Mary, Florence's vocals were so loud that she was made to stand seventeen feet away from her microphone during recording sessions. Florence's voice (which went up three octaves) was often described as "soulful, big, rich and commanding," ranging from deep contralto to operatic soprano. All in all, she contributed vocals to ten number-one pop hits and sixteen top forty hit singles between 1963 and 1967. Issues With Berry Gordy\Departing from The Supremes Despite the Supremes' rise to fame, Florence was reportedly depressed. She would later complain that their success had a negative impact on their once-close bond. Florence told an interviewer in 1975 that she, Diana & Mary would have their own hotel rooms whereas in the past, they shared one hotel room. She also felt that Motown's role in making Diana a star was also having a negative impact on the group. To combat these issues and more, Florence turned to alcohol and constantly had arguments with Mary and Diana. She also began to have conflicts with Berry Gordy as she felt he had cheapened the group's sound from R&B music to pop music.

One night in 1966 (prior to opening at the Copacabana supper club), Florence had come down with a sore throat and asked Diana to sing "People." Berry responded to this by having Diana lead the song from that point onward which depressed Florence and further deteriorated the relationship between her & Berry. During 1966, Florence started gaining weight and missing performances & some recording sessions. She would be replaced often with The Andantes' Marlene Barrow Eventually Cindy Birdsong (of The Bluebelles) became a stand-in for Florence throughout 1967. From that point, Detroiters saw Diana's relationship with Berry Gordy as the primary reason for Florence's decline. According to Florence's daughters, Diana had stated that she was going to see to it that her children would receive royalty payments after Florence's death. According to Florence's children, these payments never came through which added to the tensions between the remaining Supremes and Berry Gordy. During that May, Florence returned to the group, thinking that her leave was only temporarily. In late June, Berry officially changed the group's name to "The Supremes with Diana Ross", which was billed atop the banner of Las Vegas' Flamingo Hotel.

On July 1, 1967 (a day after her 24th birthday), Florence showed up inebriated during the group's third performance at the Flamingo and stuck her stomach out from her suit which angered Berry. After that, Berry ordered Florence to go back to Detroit with Cindy officially replacing her which abruptly ending her tenure with the group. It was decided as early May that Cindy would be the official replacement for Florence once her contract with the Bluebelles was bought out. In August of 1967, the Detroit Free Press reported that Florence had taken a temporary leave of absence from the group due to "exhaustion." On February 22, 1968, Florence & Motown Records negotiated to have her released from the label. Florence's attorney in the matter received a one-time payment of $139,804.94 in royalties and earnings from Motown. As part of the settlement, she was advised to not promote her solo work as a former member of the Supremes. On February 29, 1968, Florence married her boyfriend Thomas Chapman.

Attempt At a Solo Career Edit In March of 1968, Florence signed with ABC Records. With her husband as her manager, she released two solo singles with the label: "It Doesn't Matter How I Say It (It's What I Say Matters" & "Love Ain't Love." Neither singles made the charts at all & Florence's upcoming debut solo album with ABC Records was shelved. Due to this, Florence's settlement money was depleted from the Chapmans' management agency, Talent Management, Inc. The agency had been led by Leonard Baun (Florence's attorney who had helped to settle her issues with Motown Records). Following news that Leonard was facing multiple charges of embezzlement, she fired him. Florence continued to perform as a solo artist, opening for Bill Cosby in September of that same year at Chicago's Auditorium Theater. In October of 1968, she gave birth to her twin daughters Michelle and Nicole. In January of 1969, Florence performed at one of President Richard Nixon's inaugural balls. Despite these successes, her solo career suffered and she eventually was dropped from ABC Records in 1970.

Decline Edit In July of 1971, Florence sued Motown Records for additional royalty payments that she believed she was due to receive, but was defeated in court by Motown. During that same year, she gave birth to a third daughter named Lisa. Shortly afterwards, she and her Thomas separated after several domestic disputes. Also in that same year, her home was foreclosed. Facing poverty and depression, Florence developed alcoholism and shied away from the spotlight. In 1972, she moved into her sister Maxine's house. In 1974, Mary invited Florence to join the Supremes (which now included Cindy Birdsong and Scherrie Payne at the Six Flags Magic Mountain in California. Even though she played tambourine, Florence didn't sing and told Mary that she had no ambition to sing anymore. Later that year, Florence's plight started to be reported in newspapers as word got around that she had applied for welfare. Around that time, Florence entered Henry Ford Hospital for rehab treatment. After six weeks of treatment, she slowly started recovering. Comeback In early 1975, Florence received an insurance settlement from her former attorney's insurance company.

The settlement money helped her buy a home in Detroit's Shaftsbury Avenue. Inspired by the financial success, Florence decided to return to singing and also reconciled with her husband. On June 25, 1975, her first concert performance (in more than five years) took place at the Henry and Edsel Ford Auditorium in Detroit, Michigan. Florence performed as part of the Joan Little Defense League and was backed up by female rock group The Deadly Nightshade. Following this, she began receiving offers for interviews with Jet magazine being one of the first to report on Florence and her recovery. Also, Florence was in talks to sign a new record deal & was starting to write her autobiography documenting her life and career. Death Edit On February 21, 1976, Florence entered Mt. Carmel Mercy Hospital, complaining of numbness in her extremities. The following morning, she died at 10:05 a.m. from cardiac arrest which caused by a coronary thrombosis (which means there was a blood clot in one of her coronary arteries). Florence is buried in Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery located in Warren, Michigan.

Florence's Legacy Edit Florence's story has been referenced in a number of works by other musicians. Mississippian Steve Forbert's 1980 song "Romeo's Tune" (from his album "Jackrabbit Slim") is "dedicated to the memory of Florence Ballard." Billy Bragg's song "King James Version from his album "William Bloke" contains the line "Remember the sadness in Florence Ballard's eyes." On hip-hop artist Nas' 2006 album "Hip Hop is Dead," he mentiones the rivalry between Diana & Florence on the track "Blunt Ashes" with the lyrics: "When Flo from the Supremes died/Diana Ross cried/Many people said that she was laughing inside." In Stephen King's short story "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band," he includes Florence as one of the deceased artists who performs in a town called “Rock and Roll Heaven.” The 1981 Broadway musical "Dreamgirls" (which chronicles a fictional group called "The Dreams" and a number of plot components parallel events in the Supremes’ career).

The character of Effie White (who was like Florence Ballard) is criticized for being overweight & is fired from the group. In 2006, the film version of "Dreamgirls" was released & featured more overt references to Florence's life and the Supremes' story (including gowns and album covers that are direct copies of Supremes originals). Jennifer Hudson won a Golden Globe Award and Academy Award for her portrayal of Effie White in the film. In her Golden Globe acceptance speech, Jennifer dedicated her win to Florence. The music video for Diana Ross' song "Missing You" pays tribute to Marvin Gaye, Florence and Paul Williams (who were all former Motown artists who had died). In 1988, Florence was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Supremes alongside Diana Ross and Mary Wilson. The Supremes - Biography - IMDb The Supremes Jump to: Mini Bio (1) | Trivia (6) Mini Bio (1) The greatest girl group ever had its origins in the late 1950s in Detroit's Brewster Projects.

At the beginning the girls formed a quartet and named themselves "The Primettes", achieving mild success locally and recording a single for the Lupine record label. They ended up being a trio in 1960 shortly after they were signed by Detroit-based Motown, a record company founded by Berry Gordy . At Gordy's request, the trio formed by Florence Ballard , Mary Wilson and Diane Ross became The Supremes. In spite of the support of Motown writers and producers such as 'Smokey Robinson' and Gordy himself, the group spent a few years recording songs that disappeared into oblivion as soon as they were released. During those early years it was generally accepted that "Flo" Ballard had the strongest, more soulful voice to lead the group, but Gordy decided that Diane Ross had a more "commercial sound" and she became the lead singer in most of their recordings. However, his enthusiasm was not initially shared by other producers and musicians who found Ross' voice too high-pitched and nasal. In late 1963 The Supremes were turned over to the in-house production team formed by Lamont Dozier and brothers Brian Holland and Eddie Holland .

From the very beginning the collaboration worked like magic when their first release, "When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" became a top 40 hit nationwide providing the first hint of the girls potential. For the next release, Holland-Dozier-Holland picked "Where Did Our Love Go," a song that nobody thought much of. First they tried recording it with The Marvelettes but the group rejected it. Then they switched to The Supremes with Mary Wilson in mind to sing the leads but Mary didn't like the song either. Finally the song was cut with Ross singing in Wilson's lower mezzo-soprano register resulting in a sound that was sexy, romantic and extremely commercial. By pure chance they had stumbled into the right key for Diane Ross and a unique sound for The Supremes. "Where Did Our Love Go" was up and running as soon as it was released, an instant million seller for the group. But this was only the beginning of a Cinderella-like story that would make the girls from Detroit a legendary institution. As The Supremes kept topping the charts ("Baby Love," "Come See About Me," "Stop!

In The Name Of Love," "Back In My Arms Again," "Nothing But Heartaches") their presence was requested on national television,live concerts and even films. Here another miracle happened when audiences - of all races, social and economic backgrounds - fell in love with these charming black princesses, impeccably groomed, made up and dressed in gowns that in time became more and more extravagant. Their individual personalities so endearing, their harmonies so unique, their movements so graceful, the public just couldn't get enough of The Supremes and by 1965 they were the undisputed No. 1 female group in the country competing with The Beatles for most #1 hits in the charts. Their contribution to the civil rights movement should not be underestimated; suddenly, they were "the face" of Black America and it was a face of beauty, of glamour and of unity, an image everyone could identify with. About this time Diane decided to use the name in her birth certificate which, by a spelling error, had been entered as "Diana". This is the year also in which her relationship with 'Berry Gordy Jr'. becomes a full fledged love affair although the details are kept away from the press and the fans.

The Supremes continued turning out hits such as "I Hear A Symphony," "My World Is Empty Without You," "You Can't Hurry Love," "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart" and they were clearly "the sound of young America" but Gordy had a broader vision for them. Now that he had the kids listening to the group, the next step was to conquer the adults. The Supremes were the first R & B group to perform at the famed "Copacabana Night Club" in New York, enchanting audiences with their rendition of old American standards, songs from Broadway and Hollywood productions and their Motown hits. This was surely a well calculated gamble which paid off immediately. Diana Ross , Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard were now perceived as much more than a rock group. Actually they had become the embodiment of the American dream and as performers they were now in the same league as Sammy Davis Jr. , Frank Sinatra , Barbra Streisand or Judy Garland . They constantly appeared on television with the greatest names in show business from Bobby Darin to Ethel Merman , Bob Hope or Bing Crosby .

Looking at their seasoned performances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" (the new title of The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) and other TV shows it is easy to forget that these ladies were barely 20 years old. By 1966 the first rumors of dissension within the group leaks out. 'Berry Gordy Jr.', had made the decision that Diana Ross would become a solo artist and The Supremes just a showcase for her talents, sort of a launching pad. This turn of events was not received well by Mary and "Flo" as their own talents became relegated to background singers for a super star. It should be remembered that The Supremes owed their sound in recordings to Diana Ross and the lady deserved the extra credit for being an exceptional talent, but on TV or in concerts, audiences were fascinated by all three Supremes, by their performances and by their individual personalities. Gordy knew the dangers of this situation so he pursued the strategy of minimizing The Supremes impact in favor of asserting the name and appeal of Diana Ross . A disgruntled 'Florence Ballard' began drinking and her behavior became erratic both on and off stage.

The hits kept coming ("You Keep Me Hangin' On," "Love Is Here But Now You're Gone," "The Happening") but there was internal turmoil and tensions. In 1967, two major changes were instituted: "Flo" was dismissed and replaced with Cindy Birdsong (of Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles) and the group became officially known as "Diana Ross and The Supremes". As with the Ross-Gordy relationship, the details of Ballard's departure were kept under wraps. The group went on to higher success, becoming more sophisticated than ever and performing in the best venues not only in America but all over the world. Beautiful Cindy Birdsong had her own charismatic presence and was accepted by audiences everywhere. However the departure from Motown of Holland-Dozier-Holland dealt a blow to the girls recording career. Their last hits with H-D-H were "Reflections" and "In And Out of Love" but from there on their presence on the charts became hit and miss.

They bounced back with "Love Child", "I'm Living In Shame" and "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" a "duet" with The Temptations with whom the ladies also appeared in two highly rated television specials: TCB (1968) and G.I.T. on Broadway (1969). Their recordings of "The Composer" and "No Matter What Sign You Are" didn't do what expected but by the end of 1969 the ladies released another million seller, "Someday We'll Be Together" as it was announced that Diana would no longer be with the group. Their last concert together was in January 1970, an emotional farewell performance at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. The career of Diana Ross as a solo artist struggled at the beginning but with Gordy's guidance and Motown resources solidly behind her she became the star of the 70s with such unforgettable recordings as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Touch Me In The Morning" becoming one of the world's highest paid performers.

Ross demonstrated her unique talents both as a singer and as an actress in the 1972 film Lady Sings the Blues (1972) based on the life of Billie Holiday , which won her an Oscar nomination. About this time it was expected that Ross and Gordy would make their relationship public but Diana surprised everybody by marrying Robert Ellis Silberstein on 20 January 1971. It was obvious that Ross was beginning to question Gordy's leadership both in her career and her private life. As far as The Supremes were concerned both Diana and Berry tried to convince the public that the group no longer mattered. The pitch went out that The Supremes had been great because Diana was great and now it was no longer important. At Motown there was room for only one diva act and the name was Diana Ross , a gross miscalculation that would eventually backfire. In spite of Motown's lack of support, The Supremes continued their successful recording career well into the 70s with Chicago born singer Jean Terrell replacing Diana.

Top 10 hits such as "Up The Ladder To The Roof", "Stoned Love", "Nathan Jones" and half a dozen of excellent albums, including collaborations with The Four Tops, kept the name alive and had the potential to go on into new heights. The girls continued to be a big draw in concerts and television and it seemed the group was destined to live forever. This threw a wrench in the Motown machinery since they couldn't afford having a newcomer like Terrell with Wilson and Birdsong at her side compete with Ross for number one spots on the charts. Something had to be done fast to send The Supremes into oblivion. Most of the fans stood solidly behind The Supremes while Motown quietly pulled the plug off the most successful female trio in the business. The lack of company support eventually created dissension within the group. By 1973 Jean Terrell quit and was replaced by Scherrie Payne ; Cindy Birdsong left the group not once but twice, being replaced in each instance by 'Lynda Laurence' and Susaye Greene . Surprisingly, during these confusing times, The Supremes recorded excellent material that kept the fans interested but the group was doomed.

The real shocker came in 1976 when original Supreme Florence Ballard died of heart failure in Detroit. After leaving the group she had tried to launch a solo career and landed a recording contract with ABC Records. However her first two singles didn't do well and ABC lost interest. Among rumors of industry blacklisting, "Flo" ended up destitute and on welfare in order to feed her three daughters. For The Supremes (Mary, Scherrie and Susaye) the final performance came in 1977 at the Drury Lane Theater in London but it was not the end of the legend... Diana Ross , whose career was grossly over-managed at Motown, signed with RCA and enjoyed recording success through the mid 1980s when, suddenly, the hits just stopped coming. She maintained her super star status on the concert circuit but her career decisions and choice of material began to be questioned. In 1983 Motown produced a TV special to celebrate their 25th Anniversary which was planned as a reunion of the old Detroit gang. The Supremes were invited to reunite for the occasion but during their performance it was obvious that Diana was not comfortable singing with her old partners.

The audience gasped when it saw Ross pushing Wilson but this was edited out of the TV special and the home video release. Mary Wilson tried to launch a solo career but record companies were just not interested and rumors of blacklisting resurfaced. She managed to continue singing all over the world and in 1986 surprised everyone with a candid autobiography titled "Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme" which became a best seller, actually the biggest rock and roll autobiography in history. There was a sequel titled "Supreme Faith: Someday We'll Be Together" which was also well received by the public. In Mary's books, The Supremes are presented both as an American dream and an American tragedy. Far from dying, The Supremes became cult figures with their recordings constantly on release, lots of air play, the subject of hundreds of articles, dozens of books, documentaries and TV specials. They are the inspiration behind the Broadway hit and film Dreamgirls (2006) and the film Sparkle (1976), their music heard in dozens of film soundtracks.

The 80s and the 90s witnessed several ex-Supremes revivals in the concert circuits including the "Mary Wilson Supremes Revue" and reunions by Jean Terrell with Lynda Laurence and Scherrie Payne . In the late 80s and well into the 90s, The Supremes received important recognition such as a "star" in Hollywood's Walk of Fame and the induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which were attended by Mary Wilson with the daughters of 'Florence Ballard'. In 2000, Diana Ross herself tried to invigorate her career by planning a "Millennium Supreme reunion" with Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong but both ladies declined the invitation, alleging being denied input in the shows. Also there was quite a difference between the salaries of Diana and those of Mary and Cindy. Undaunted, and making the same mistake all over again, Miss Ross deludes herself into thinking that the important part of this "Supreme reunion" is HER participation and substitutes her former partners with Scherrie Payne and Lynda Laurence to serve as background singers in a monumental tour of the United States.

Mary counterattacked publicly about this "fake reunion" and the tour was canceled after playing a few dates to half filled venues. Meanwhile, The Supremes recordings keep getting reissues and continue to sell very well. Lately, scores of previously unreleased Supremes recordings are being issued for the first time, while songs like "Baby Love," "I Hear a Symphony," "You Can't Hurry Love" and "Someday We'll Be Together" remain perennial favorites worldwide. As for the ladies themselves, Diana continues touring in spite of many personal problems which have even brought her in confrontation with the law. She has been known to check herself into "rehab clinics" in at least two occasions. Mary also continues touring both as a singer and a lecturer and was named by the Bush administration (2002) "United States ambassador of good will." She has also appeared in the film "Only The Strong Survive" while Cindy Birdsong leads a quite life in Los Angeles as a Christian minister helping out disadvantaged young people.

In 2004 Mary and Cindy reunited for the Motown 45 (2004) TV special where they sang a medley of Supremes hits with Kelly Rowland , of Destiny's Child substituting the elusive Diana Ross . Whatever happens in the future for these ladies it is clear that The Supremes legend has stood the test of time and will continue. At their prime they touched so many lives and excelled in so many ways that their impact seems destined to live forever. Where did our love go? Nowhere. It's still here baby, baby... - IMDb Mini Biography By: Mark Martin Trivia (6) Elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ( Diana Ross , Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard ) in 1988. Ranked #16 on VH1's Greatest Women of Rock N Roll Originally called The Primettes (formed in 1959), they changed their name to The Supremes in 1960.

The Supremes | Biography & History | AllMusic google+ Artist Biography by Richie Unterberger The most successful American performers of the 1960s, the Supremes for a time rivaled even the Beatles in terms of red-hot commercial appeal, reeling off five number one singles in a row at one point. Critical revisionism has tended to undervalue the Supremes ' accomplishments, categorizing their work as more lightweight than the best soul stars (or even the best Motown stars), and viewing them as a tool for Berry Gordy 's crossover aspirations. There's no question that there was about as much pop as soul in the Supremes ' hits, that even some of their biggest hits could sound formulaic, and that they were probably the black performers who were most successful at infiltrating the tastes and televisions of middle America. This shouldn't diminish either their extraordinary achievements or their fine music, the best of which renders the pop vs. soul question moot with its excellence. The Supremes were not an overnight success story, although it might have seemed that way when they began topping the charts with sure-fire regularity.

The trio that would become famous as the Supremes -- Diana Ross , Mary Wilson , and Florence Ballard -- met in the late '50s in Detroit's Brewster housing project. Originally known as the Primettes , they were a quartet ( Barbara Martin was the fourth member) when they made their first single for the Lupine label in 1960. By the time they debuted for Motown in 1961, they had been renamed the Supremes ; Barbara Martin reduced them to a trio when she left after their first single. The Supremes' first Motown recordings were much more girl group-oriented than their later hits. Additionally, not all of them featured Diana Ross on lead vocals; Flo Ballard , considered to have as good or better a voice, also sang lead. Through a lengthy series of flops, Berry Gordy remained confident that the group would eventually prove to be one of Motown's biggest. By the time they finally did get their first Top 40 hit, "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes," in late 1963, Ross had taken over the lead singing for good.

Ross was not the most talented female singer at Motown; Martha Reeves and Gladys Knight in particular had superior talents. What she did have, however, was the most purely pop appeal. Gordy 's patience and attention paid off in mid-1964, when "Where Did Our Love Go" went to number one. Written by Holland-Dozier-Holland , it established the prototype for their run of five consecutive number-one hits in 1964-1965 (also including "Baby Love," "Stop! In the Name of Love," "Come See About Me," and "Back in My Arms Again"). Ross ' cooing vocals would front the Supremes ' decorative backup vocals, put over on television and live performance with highly stylized choreography and visual style. Holland-Dozier-Holland would write and produce all of the Supremes ' hits through the end of 1967. Not all of the Supremes ' singles went to number one after 1965, but they usually did awfully well, and were written and produced with enough variety (but enough of a characteristic sound) to ensure continual interest.

The chart-topping (and uncharacteristically tough) "You Keep Me Hangin' On" was the best of their mid-period hits. Behind the scenes, there were some problems brewing, although these only came to light long after the event. Other Motown stars (most notably Martha Reeves ) resented what they perceived as the inordinate attention lavished upon Ross by Gordy , at the expense of other artists on the label. The other Supremes themselves felt increasingly pushed to the background. In mid-1967, as a result of what was deemed increasingly unprofessional behavior, Ballard was replaced by Cindy Birdsong (from Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles ). Ballard become one of rock's greatest tragedies, eventually ending up on welfare, and dying in 1976. After Ballard 's exit, the group would be billed as Diana Ross & the Supremes , fueling speculation that Ross was being groomed for a solo career.

The Supremes had a big year in 1967, even incorporating some mild psychedelic influences into "Reflections." Holland-Dozier-Holland , however, left Motown around this time, and the quality of the Supremes ' records suffered accordingly (as did the Motown organization as a whole). The Supremes were still superstars, but as a unit, they were disintegrating; it's been reported that Wilson and Birdsong didn't even sing on their final hits, a couple of which ("Love Child" and "Someday We'll Be Together") were among their best. In November 1969, Ross ' imminent departure for a solo career was announced, although she played a few more dates with them, the last in Las Vegas in January 1970. Jean Terrell replaced Ross , and the group continued through 1977, with some more personnel changes (although Mary Wilson was always involved).

Some of the early Ross -less singles were fine records, particularly "Stoned Love," "Nathan Jones," and the Supremes - Four Tops duet "River Deep -- Mountain High." Few groups have been able to rise to the occasion after the loss of their figurehead, though, and the Supremes proved no exception, rarely making the charts after 1972. It is the Diana Ross -led era of the 1960s for which they'll be remembered. Hank Ballard & The Midnighters Biography | OLDIES.com Hank Ballard & The Midnighters Biography Overview Biography Songs Similar Artists CDs Vinyl John Kendricks, 18 November 1936, Detroit, Michigan, USA, d. 2 March 2003, Los Angeles, California, USA. His date of birth is disputed, and varies between 1927 and 1936. Ballards truck-driving father died when he was seven years old and he was sent to Bessemer, Alabama, to live with relations. The strict religious and gospel upbringing caused him to run away, and by the age of 15, Ballard was working on an assembly line at Ford Motors in Detroit.

His cousin, Florence Ballard, became a member of the Detroit girl group the Supremes. Hank Ballards singing voice was heard by Sonny Woods of the Royals, who was amused by his mixture of Jimmy Rushing and Gene Autry. He was asked to replace frontman Lawson Smith during the latters army service. The Royals, who also included Henry Booth and Charles Sutton, had been recommended to King Records by Johnny Otis and had previously recorded Every Beat Of My Heart, later an R&B hit for Gladys Knight And The Pips. In 1953, Ballards first session with the Royals led to their first US R&B Top 10 entry, Get It, which he also wrote. Ballard composed the newly renamed Midnighters 1954 R&B chart-topper, Work With Me Annie, although its sexual innuendoes were too strong for some radio stations to broadcast. Its popularity spawned sequels (Annie Had A Baby, Annies Aunt Fannie) as well as answer records (the Platters Annie Doesnt Work Here Anymore).

Etta James Roll With Me, Henry was modified by Georgia Gibbs to Dance With Me, Henry, while Hank himself responded with Henrys Got Flat Feet (Cant Dance No More)! The group also had success with Sexy Ways, Dont Change Your Pretty Ways, Open Up Your Back Door and Tore Up Over You. In 1955, the Drifters had converted a gospel song into Whatcha Gonna Do? and, in 1957, Hank Ballard And The Midnighters (as the group was now known) used the same melody for Is Your Love For Real?. They then modified the arrangement and changed the lyrics to The Twist. Not realizing the songs potential, it was released as the b-side of Teardrops On Your Letter, a number 4 US R&B hit. Shortly afterwards, The Twist was covered by Chubby Checker, who embellished Ballards dance steps and thus created a new craze.

As a result of The Twist, Hank Ballard And The Midnighters received exposure on pop radio stations and made the US pop charts with such dance hits as Finger Poppin Time (number 7), Lets Go, Lets Go, Lets Go (number 6), The Hoochi Coochi Coo (number 23), Lets Go Again (Where We Went Last Night) (number 39), The Continental Walk (number 33) and The Switch-A-Roo (number 26). On the strength of Chubby Checkers success, their original version of The Twist made number 28 on the US pop charts. In the mid-60s Hank Ballard split with the other members, but he retained the groups title, which enabled him to work with numerous musicians using the Midnighters name. For some years he worked with James Brown, who has paid tribute to him on record. In the late 80s, Ballard recorded a double album at the Hammersmith Palais in London.

In 1990, he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The best of his later recordings is 1998s From Love To Tears, which features the excellent Two Bad Boys. Ballard died from throat cancer in March 2002. Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze. Filter Results 1000+ images about Florence Ballard on Pinterest | Vintage black glamour, Mary wilson and January 15 The Supremes, Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard and Diana Ross, complying with a request from soldiers in Vietnam with the help of JET magazine in its June 8, 1967 issue. Photo: G. Marshall Wilson. More The Supremes - The Quintessential Girl Group - Motown Sound Alumni - Motown Museum Home of Hitsville U.S.A. Supremes The quintessential girl group, the Supremes emerged as Motown’s leading female artists after a disappointing start. Best known as a trio, the Supremes started out as the Primettes. Original members included Florence Ballard, Diane (Diana) Ross and Mary Wilson.

Ballard left the group in 1968 and was replaced by Cindy Birdsong. Success was slow to come to the Supremes, whose records produced poor results for several years after they signed with Motown. Despite their reputation around Hitsville as the “no-hit” Supremes, Berry Gordy continued to have faith in their appeal and abilities. The Supremes got on track to fame in 1963 with the release of “When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes,” produced by Motown’s powerhouse trio, Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland. Holland-Dozier-Holland went on to write and produce a string of hits for the group, starting with “Where Did Our Love Go” in 1964. Mega-hits and international stardom followed over the next three years: “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me,” “Stop in the Name of Love” and “You Keep Me Hanging On,” which received the 1966 Grammy for Best Pop Single.

click to enlarge image The Supremes, now noted for their style, elegance and stellar performances, reached the top of the charts three times in 1966 with “I Hear a Symphony,” “You Can’t Hurry Love” and “You Keep Me Hanging On.” Supremes A’ Go-Go was the first album released by an all-female group to chart at #1 on Billboard’s 200 list. Diana Ross, who had long been the Supremes’ lead singer, was placed center stage in 1967 when the group was renamed “Diana Ross and the Supremes.” She would later embark on a solo singing career in 1970 and be replaced by Jean Terrell. Prior to Ross’ departure, the group hit number-one on American pop charts once more with “Someday We’ll Be Together.” Motown Note groups name into Diana Ross And Supremes also changed member - MAN - 336 View Full Document group’s name into Diana Ross And Supremes also changed member Florence Ballard as Cindy Birdsong. As his strategy, their popularity didn’t know when to low.

In 1969, however, Team’s main member Diana Ross became solo and Supremes’ popularity was on decrease. So to speak about their music style, they had Pop and R&B Soul with simply pleasant rhythm and beautiful harmony. Supremes made model of girl group’s sound and they are also model of every girl group. My recommend songs are ‘Where Did Our Love Go’ which song is their first hit song, ‘Baby Love’ and ‘Come See About me’. If you listen their music, you can understand how they attract people. Their music has simple rhythm, harmony and soul so these factors stir people’s emotion. 2. Marvin Gaye 5 20112990 Yenny Jung This preview has intentionally blurred sections. Sign up to view the full version. View Full Document MoTown His charming and refined voice attracted Barry Gordy and he contracted Motown In 1961. Barry thought Marvin and Diana could make the vision ‘Sound Of Young American’. Marvin became super star of Motown by making single hit song like ‘Once Upon A Time’ and ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’.

On May 21th 1971, he made soul album that went down in this album issued, Motown music is about sensual love of man and woman, Fantasy of love and sexual feeling. This is Motown’s advantage but also it is their limitations, But this album surpass this limitations with music mind reaching for world problems and issues. Black music was becoming the soul music that could comport every people over the world. This album that brought innovation of black music is the first concept album of black artist and becomes to be admired as best soul album. In 2006 times choose this album as one of all-time 100 Albums and the king of pop Michele Jackson said this album is only one soul album. It has 9 songs and I recommend ‘What’s going on’, ‘Mercy Mercy Me’ and ‘Inner City Blues’. And later he released the album which is ‘Let’s Get It On’. This album is about love romance and sex unlike before album. His vocal ability proved his real abilities showing delicate and sensitive expressiveness on this album. How all songs in album are delicate and beautiful? This sound and lyric are about desire for sex but those are gentle and elegant extravagance.

This is best romantic mood album which any album can’t jump over and I recommend ‘Let’s Get It On’ which is his best hit song that was recorded 1 st billboard chart, ‘If I Should Die Tonight’ and ‘Just To Keep You satisfied’. I This is the end of the preview. Sign up to access the rest of the document. TERM University of Texas at Austin MAN 336 - Fall 2015 Motivation for New T ech Korea Employees Global OB Consultants / 2014-12-03 20112990 OB ppt Queen of the Supremes before Diana Ross, she died at 32. So was Florence Ballard murdered? | Daily Mail Online Queen of the Supremes before Diana Ross, she died at 32. So was Florence Ballard murdered? The little girl's screams pierced the quiet night outside the small, unprepossessing brick house in a rundown street in Detroit . But if her high-pitched wailing woke the neighbours, they just turned over and went back to sleep, reasoning that the girl was probably having a nightmare - and anyway, screams in the night were not unusual in that part of the city.

In a way, they were right. The seven-year-old girl, Nicole, had indeed stumbled into a nightmare - but it was real. After she had been awoken by a crashing sound, she had run downstairs into the living room and found her mother lying on the carpet, foaming at the mouth. The unconscious woman was taken to Mount Carmel Detroit , where she died eight hours later. She was just 32 years old. And there the story would have ended that night of February 22, 1976, but for one thing: the woman who died was Florence Ballard, once the star of The Supremes, one of the most successful groups of all time. Enlarge Mystery: Florence Ballard (right), who founded The Supremes, was forced out of the group Ballard had been wealthy, famous, feted and considered a better singer than Diana Ross, her fellow Supreme who eclipsed, then dethroned her. This week, a major exhibition opens at London Albert Museum - The Story Of The Supremes From The Mary Wilson Collection - displaying the sparkling gowns once worn by Mary Wilson, Diana Ross, and Florence Ballard during their glory years when they recorded hits such as Stop!

In The Name Of Love and Baby Love. To the many thousands of Supremes fans, the exhibition represents yet another sparkling tribute to the legendary girl group. But to Florence Ballard's surviving family, the glamour and the glitter has long since worn off. After the recent discovery of eight hours of taped interviews with Florence shortly before she died, in which she expresses fears for her safety, the Ballard family has raised its own concerns about the unexplained mysteries which still surround her death. More than 32 years later, her sister, Maxine, now 65, firmly believes Florence did not die of natural causes and that she intends to have Florence 's body exhumed in order to prove her case. "We were told that my sister had died of coronary artery thrombosis, but she didn't have a history of heart disease," she said this week. "There was no trace of alcohol or barbiturates in her system, but there was this brown cereal-type substance which was never identified. "I believe she was killed because someone wanted to silence her." But who? Maxine admits that she has privately confronted the man she suspects of being responsible for her sister's death.

Yet a close examination of the tragic story of Florence Ballard, her climb to stardom and how she was drummed out of the group and then died penniless, points to Flo's profligate husband, Tommy Chapman, known to have abused her, and who was found dead in 1985. Diana Ross, centre, only took centre stage in the Supremes when she became Berry Gordy's lover In the newly-released eight hours of taped interviews Florence conducted just a year before her death, she told Detroit Free Press journalist Peter Benjaminson that after she left the group she sued Motown and its creator, Berry Gordy. Gordy, now 78 a former professional boxer turned record producer, launched Tamla Motown records with just $800 in 1959. He had an extraordinary ability for spotting talent, including the Jackson 5, The Supremes and Smokey Robinson And The Miracles. Gordy gave the world a whole new sound, which became known simply as "Motown". He would frequently promote some artists at the expense of others, ruthlessly cutting from his roster of stars any which failed to please him. He is a formidable man to take on in any circumstances.

Florence says on the tape that after she began her legal action: "I began to get scared. I don't know why, I just had a fear." Florence met Gordy in 1958 when she was just 15, growing up in the tough Detroit Brewster-Douglass projects, the eighth of 15 children born to a General Motors worker and his wife, Lurlee. The bubbly teenager with the big voice, honed during a childhood of gospel singing in her local church, was overflowing with talent. Suddenly, here was , all talk of fame and fortune, throwing the world at her feet. "Flo thought Berry was a father figure. She trusted him implicitly," her sister, Maxine recalls. Canny and set on creating a black girl group capable of conquering the predominantly white pop music world, Gordy became a Svengali to Florence and the two friends she invited to join her. Soon, Flo and her pals, Mary Wilson and Diana Ross, became The Primettes, then - on Florence 's suggestion - The Supremes.

Florence, left, thought of Motown boss Berry Gordy as a father figure - until he dropped her from the group Shepherded by Gordy, they became a pop sensation, crossing all racial barriers and making it to the top. Their first hit record, Where Did Our Love Go?, went to Number One, and stayed there for 11 weeks. Hit after hit followed. Flo was initially The Supremes' lead singer, but soon the ambitious Diana Ross started to steal the limelight from her, and a bitter rivalry ensued. What Florence didn't know was that her rival had become Gordy's lover (Ross later gave birth to his daughter, Rhonda) - and wanted to take over from Florence as the leader of the group. With Gordy on Ross's side, there could be only one winner. Gordy was intent on edging Flo out of the group she'd founded. Aware that she could out-sing and upstage Diana, he wanted Flo out of the group altogether, and had a replacement for her waiting in the wings - Cindy Birdsong.

Florence Ballard gave her last performance as a Supreme at the Flamingo Hotel, Las Vegas The morning after, Berry Gordy called her and coldly informed her that she was fired. She and Gordy fought all morning, until, finally beaten down, Florence gave up and left the group. Immediately afterwards, the group became Diana Ross And The Supremes. Florence Ballard's career was over at the age of 24. During her years with The Supremes, the group routinely grossed $100,000 in ten days of touring, and their hits made millions. Yet Gordy had kept the girls on a weekly allowance of just $225, and deducted all their recording and touring expenses from their royalties. When Flo finally demanded to see statements, there were none. Distraught, she sued Gordy for her missing millions, but lost her case. Florence Ballard, the girl who had founded The Supremes, was left with a settlement of just $160,000. She began to drink heavily, and during her drunken binges, would walk the streets of Detroit , feverishly asking herself what had gone wrong for her.

"I kept saying: 'The money's gone, the house is gone and the car is gone. I just don't care any more.' I thought about suicide." But however broken Florence might have been, by then living on welfare and married to former Motown chauffeur Tommy Chapman, she had three children, so suicide was out of the question. In 1975, when she began taping her memoirs, Florence was rebuilding her life. She was planning a comeback and had begun a new legal action to reclaim her fortune. And she had started an autobiography. That autobiography would have lifted the lid on The Supremes, Motown and Berry Gordy, the Svengali who had made and then broken her. Fortunately for Gordy, that book was never written because Florence died. But is it fanciful to suggest that her death was anything other than natural causes? "So many lies were told," Maxine recalls.

"The rumour was put about that she had died of drink or an overdose, but that isn't true." Peter Benjaminson, who was co-writing Florence 's autobiography at the time of her death, says: "The Wayne County medical examiner, Dr Werner Spitz, said he had been told Flo had been drinking and taking two different medications, one to facilitate weight loss, the other to counteract high blood pressure." However, according to assistant medical examiner James Mullaney, who performed the autopsy, only a minuscule amount of the antidepressant Seniquan was found in Flo's body, along with a trace of alcohol. The autopsy report concluded that she had died of a combination of a blood clot, hypertension, and heart disease. But what was the unidentified brown substance found in her stomach? Was some substance administered to Florence which brought on her sudden death? Maxine is determined to find out what really happened, hence her campaign to have her sister's body exhumed and new tests carried out. To many, it may seem that after almost 30 years it would be better to let matters rest. Florence 's abusive husband, Tommy Chapman, is long dead. But her family wants to know what happened.

Maxine said: "My sister was healthy, she was happy, she loved her children and she had big plans for the future. "I don't believe that she died of natural causes. She was outspoken and talking too much, and I believe that she was killed."

Question: Florence Ballard was a member of which girl group?
Answer: Supremes